Concrete-discharge spout



Nov. 16 1926. 1,607,303

H. W. RANNIKKO CONCRETE DISCHARGE sPoUT Filed Feb. l1, 1926 lPatented Nov. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATLS if: anni D rarer orsi CONCRETE-DISCHARGE SPOUT.

Application filed February My invention is a concrete discharge spout adapted to convey concrete from a. mixer to a hoisting bucket or the like.

An object of my invention is a concrete I discharge spout to dischargev concrete int-o a hoisting bucket and having a gate at the lower end oi the spout to shut o the concrete after the bucket is Atilled, the spout also having a sliding` extension to extend over the bucket in iilling same and to be drawn backwardly to allow the bucket to be elevated and lowered.

Another feature of my invention is to automatically control the openingA and closing of the gate on the extension and drawing in of the spout so that when the spout is extended over the bucket the gate will be wide open and when the spout is retracted to allow further conveying of the bucket, the gate is closed.

In the ordinary type of spout conveying concrete from a concrete mixer to a bucket khaving a vertical travel in a tower or the like, to carry the concrete to anl elevated structure, considerable concrete is wasted when the vbucket is in position below the spout as ythe concrete which has beenlett in the spout after discharging the concrete mixer slides down the spout. There is also the wastage of labor in chipping out the concrete which becomes hardened at the bottom of the hoist.

I-Ience, another object Vot my invention is to control lthe vextension and retraction 3 mixer, the'gate being also closed. f n

In constructing my invention- I utilize aV spout .having a stationary section and a slidable lower end section,- this beingA adapted to slide outwardly a suiiicient distance to extend into a hoist and to substantially the center 'of a bucket. The gate is pivotally mounted in Vthe slidable end foi the spout and in its downward vposition. closes theA spout. An arm is attached t-o the shaft on which the gate is pivoted, this arm being slidablethrough a stationary slide mounted preferably onth-e xed part oi" the spout.` The arm is .positioned at such an angle to the gate that on ythe outward sliding movement of the slidable part of the spout the larm is rotated to a sufficient angley to `open of the spout by the action of discharging' 11, 192e. serial no. 87,578.

the gate to the desired extent and on the drawing in of the spout the arm is swung backwardly, thereby closing the gat-e.

A common type of concrete mixer has a discharge trough pivotally mounted so'that when in a downwardly inclined position the Y concrete from the rotating mixer drops on the trough and is discharged downwardly and when the tro-ugh is tilted in the oppo- `site direction the concrete falling on the trough is discharged back into the mixer.

I prefer utilizing a gear train having a sprocketchain and sprockets to operate the sliding part of the spout through the inedi-l um of a rack and pinion due to the tilting of the mixer trough. n

My invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which: Q

Figure l is a schematic plan of an installation utilizing my discharge spout showing a concrete mixer, the tilting trough therefor, the Vixed and sliding spout, -a tower and a gear train between the trough and the sliding spout.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 in the direction ofthe arrows, showing the spout retractedand with the gate closed to prevent discharge ot concrete from the spout.v

Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. 2, show ing the spout extended with the gate open.V

Fig. 4 is a cross section `on the line 4 4: of Fig. 2, in the direction yof the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a partial end elevation in the direction of the arrow 5, showing the open gate when the spout is extended.

Referring particularly to Fig; 1, a concrete mixer is indicated by vt-he numerall and is ot'a common type, being shaped somewhat like a drum. A discharge trough I "2' is pivotally mounted adjacent the mixerV to discharge concretev therefrom. A. spout 3 is positioned to receive the concrete from the trough, this spout being combined with my structure having a slidable extension 4, this being closed bythe gate 5. A tower of any suitable construction is indicated by the numeral 6 and. a bucket to elevate the 1 concrete. by .the numeral 7. The trough shaft 8 carries a. sprocket 9 thereon and byV means of the `sprocket Y chain l0 conveys motion to the spout sha-tt 1l through the sprocket r12. This lspout"`s,haift is adapted: to operate the extension*and*v retractic of the spout as hereunder forth.

rihe fixed spout 3 is preferably formed with curled edges 12, the extension spout 4 having its upper edges 13 extending underneath the curl. A bracket 14 is attached to the fixed spout 3, preferably by being attached to the curled edges and has a downward extension 15 forming a journal for the spout shaft 11, this shaft ca-rrying a pinion 16.

A bracing -tin 17 extends upwardly on an inclination from the bracket and is adaptedto engage the lower surface 18 of the sliding trough so as to hold it in firm relation to the stationary spout 3. sion spout is provided with a rack 19 meshing with the pinion 1G.

The gate 5 is attached to the gate shaft 20, this being journaled near the outer end 21 of the extension spout, the gate shaft being horizontal and preferably having a squared end 22 in one side. An arm is secured on this squared end preferably by a set screw 24 and engages a slide 25. This slide is formed with a slot 26, the slot bel ing vertical and of sufficient width to accommodate the arm 23 and having a length to allow the rod to extend through the slot on an inclination as shown in Fig. 3.

The gate is preferably flexibly attached to the gate shaft by having springs 2i'. coiled around the shaft, the free rend 28 engaging in front of the gate andy normally tensioned to press the gate closed. fi finger 29 is rigidly attached to the gate shaft and may be secured thereto by a set screw 30` so that when the shaft is rotated by the arm 23, the gate will be lifted into the open position as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In constructions in which t-he end of the spout cannot be placed close to a tower on account of the forward inclination of the arin 23', when. the gate is closed, an exten- Y sion shaft 31. as indicated in Fig. 5 may be attached thereto and an arin 32 placed on the end of such shaft. In this construction it would be necessary to secure the guide 25 to someY structure to be held in a xed position and to engage the readjusted arin 32.

rihe manner of using and operation of iny concrete discharge spout is substantially as follows:

As above indicated, the buckets are raised and lowered in the tower 6 by any suitable mechanism and the concrete can only be .discharged from the mixer by tilting and trough 2 from theV posit-ion shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 8 when a bucket is in position. rlhe tilting of the trough which is done by the operator controlling the concrete mixer through the medium of the prockets and sprocket gear, operates the pinion 16 which through the rack 19 extends the extension spout outwardly from Vthe position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown The exten- I 3. in this movement the arm being e aged by the slot- 26 in the guide 25 is swu g from the position shown in Fig. 2, to that in Fig. 3', thus opening the gare and.l allowing discharge of the concrete--` Gn the reverse movement of the mixer trough into the position shown in Fig. 2, the extension spout is retracted and the gate is closed. Thus as there is usually a certain amount of concrete left in the trough 8, this is prevented from dropping olf the end of the spout and will be discharged with the next batch.

The function of the spring 27 giving the resilient mounting for the gate 5 is to allow this to partially close should t-hek lower edge of the gate be caught by stones or the like in the concrete, thereby preventing absolute closing of the gate.

Although l have shown a spout as being operated by the actuation of the mixer trough, it will be apparent that it may be manipulated independently thereof. Moreover, the gate could` be suitably weighted in Fig.

and the arin 23 could enffaffe a fixed deviceV to swing the gate open on the forward movement of the trough extension.

Other variations in the construction and changes in the general features and saeciiic details may be made to adapt my disc iarge spout to different installations and for different purposes than handling concrete.

Such changes would be within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A discharge spout comprising in combination a fixed spout, a slidable extension at the lower end of the said spout, a1 gate on the extension, a xed structure, and means interengaging the gate and such structure to operate the gate on the sliding movement of the extension. Y

2. A discharge spout comprising in combination a fixed spout, a slidable extension at the lower end, a gate on the slidable extension, and means to operate the gateV by the n sliding movement thereof in' Vbeing extended or retracted.

8. discharge spout comprising in combination a fixed spout, an extension spout slidably mounted in relation thereto, a gate pivotally mounted in the extension spout, an arm attached to the gate and meansto engage the arm on the .extension of the extensionv spout, adapted to open the gate when the spout is extended and to close same when the spout is retracted.

11. A discharge spout as claimed in claim 3, in which the means engaging the arm comprises a guide having a slot therein, the arm litt-ing in the said slot. A

5. A discharge spout comprising in combination a stationary spout, a slidable extension spout adjacent thereto, a rack on the extension, a gear engaging said rack, a gate at the lower end of the extension, means to rotate the gear to slide the extension and means to operate the gate on the sliding movement of the extension. v

6. A concrete discharge spout comprising in combination a tiltable concrete mixer trough, a fixed spout for the trough to discharge into, an extension spout adjacent the fixed spout, a gate at the lower end of the extension, means to operate the extension spout by the movement of the mixer trough and means to operate the gate by the movement of the extension spout.

7. In combination a tiltable concrete mixer trough mounted on a shaft, a fixed spout into which said trough discharges, an extension spout slidably mounted in relation to the fixed spout, a fixed spout shaft, a gear train between the trough shaft and the spout shaft and means to operate the extension spout to extend sameor retract same by the rotation of the spout shaft.

8. In combination a tiltable concrete mixer trough as claimed in claim 7, having in addition a gate mounted at the lower end of the extension spout, and means to openand close the gate by the sliding movement of said extension spout. I

9. In combination a tiltable concrete mixer as claimed in claim 7 having in addition a gate pivotally mounted on a horizontal pivot at the lower end of the extension spout, an arm secured to the said pivot, and a xed guide having a slot for said arm to open and close the gate on the sliding movement of the extension spout.

10. In combination a concrete mixer trough, a trough shaft on which same is mounted, a sprocket gear connected to said shaft, a fixed spout, a xed spout shaft having a sprocket gear thereon, a sprocket chain between said sprockets, a pinion mounted on the spout shaft, an extension slidably mounted in relation to the fixed spout, a rack on said extension spout engaging the pinion, whereby kon tiltingl of the mixer trough the extension trough is extended or retracted.

l1. In trough as claimed in claim 10, having in addition a gate pivotally mounted on a hori zontal pivot at the lower end of the extension spout, and a guide connected to the fixed trough having a slot therein for the armto open and close same on the sliding of the extension spout.

, 12. In a discharge spout, a fixed spout, an extension spout slidably mounted in relation thereto, having a horizontal gate pivot shaft, a gate mounted on said shaft, a spring coiled on the shaft engaging the gate normally pressing same in a closed direction, a finger connected to the shaft engaging the gate, an arm detachably connected to the gate shaft and means to operate the arm to turn the finger engaging the gate and rotating same in an open position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

I-IJ ALMAR W. RANNIKKO.

combination a concrete mixerV 

